Beeswax Candles

For me the sweetest part of the harvest season is all of this delicious honey my bees have created. Its flavor is the essence of the blooms they visited throughout the spring and summer. Beeswax is an important by-product of their work, which makes up the walls of the honeycomb. Bees build these ingenious structures as storage cells for their honey and the honeycomb is strong enough to hold several pounds of the golden sweetness in place.

Beeswax is used in many products but candles are some of the most traditional. In fact some churches require that candles used in certain ceremonies must contain at least 25 percent beeswax.

Making candles from pure beeswax is really quite simple. All it takes is some sheet beeswax like this and wicks. You can purchase these supplies at some craft stores or from mail order bee keeping supply companies.

Before I make candles I just warm the wax in the sun until it softens a bit or you can lay it on a towel lined cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven. It just takes a couple of minutes for the wax to soften so it's workable.

Next lay a piece of the wick, slightly longer than the sheet, and gently roll it, making sure the ends are even. Of course the more sheets you roll the thicker your candles will become. Use a utility knife to trim the excess and a warm metal spatula to seal the edge.

It's amazing how popular candles have become particularly around the holiday season and to think, the essential ingredient here is from our friend the honeybee.